Whalberg's Corner

In many ways, "The Fighter" is the film of 2011. A family drama with a
pugilistic background. The punches, physical and emotional in and out
of the ring took me completely by surprise. What didn't surprise me was
Mark Whalberg's signature all over the place. Let me explain: Many
years ago I was at a lecture by director Martin Donovan when during the
Q&A somebody made fun of the fact that Calvin Klein underwear model
Marky Mark had played a part (his first acting role) in Donovan's made
for TV "The Substitute" Donovan with elegance and firmness destroyed
the guy asking the question, describing Whalberg's strengths and ended
up saying "Mark Whalberg will be one of the top actors around and he
will probably be running Hollywood within a decade" I had Donovan's
words buzzing in my ears when I sat speechless watching "Boogie
Nights". Whalberg also produced "Entourage" and the startling "In
Treatment". He now produced "The Fighter" and his performance, interior
and powerful, dominates the film allowing other members of the cast, to
shine in truly showy roles, Christian Bale for instance - really good.
Melissa Leo is a stand out as the mother/manager. Superb. So I won't be
surprised to see Mark Whalberg receiving the top honors at the next
Academy Awards, as an actor and producer. He certainly deserves it.
Bravo!

Was the above review useful to you?

145 out of 197 people found the following review useful:

Conventional script elevated by great direction and fantastic performances

After Rocky, Raging Bull, Ali, Million Dollar Baby, Cinderella man, and
many others, one begins to wonder how many more boxing movies we really
need in the world, and what a new one can bring to the table. Indeed,
watching The Fighter, one can't help but wonder what the film can do to
renew the genre and bring something new to the table. Unfortunately,
the answer is "nothing much". The script is a pretty conventional
rags-to-riches story, whose most interesting element is the
relationship between Micky Ward and his brother, Dickie Eklund.
Luckily, Russell and company recognized that this was the strongest
aspect of what is otherwise a good but ordinary and somewhat flawed
script, with some problems with flat characterizations and
unnatural-sounding dialogue. However, everyone involved in the film
tries their best to transcend the script, and for the most part, they
succeed.

Russell's direction is absolutely fantastic. His use of the camera 
which still has that indie looseness, free-moving and hand-held and
gritty quality to it, which really adds to the atmosphere and energy
the film tries to capture. His staging of scenes is fantastic and he
usually just lets his actors riff off of one another, sometimes
sticking to the script but sometimes talking over one another,
interrupting, and creating a very dynamic back-and- forth that further
lends to the realistic quality of the film and its setting. A fantastic
rock- oriented soundtrack only adds to this energy and atmosphere. In
terms of bringing something new to the table of boxing movies, Russell
employs a very interesting technique of filming the boxing scenes as
they were shown on HBO pay-per-view TV in the 90's; cheap video
quality, multi-camera set-ups, the whole package. The boxing scenes
were all shot over 3 days, which left the crew just enough time to run
through one boxing match at a time and just shooting it as if it were
an actual match, the cameras capturing everything, including mistakes
and mess-ups and spontaneous, uncontrolled occurrences which yet again
add to the very loose and realistic style the film attempts to capture.
It is a very interesting and unique technique I have not seen used
before, and I thought it was a fresh approach to boxing scenes, which
have become very conventional ever since Raging Bull.

Ultimately, though, this is a movie about two brothers and their
overcoming demons and obstacles in order to succeed and reach their
mutual goal, together. Being a character-based film, the success of the
acting is a key to the success of the film, and luckily, it is in this
field that the film succeeds the most. Mark Wahlberg is adequate in the
lead role of Micky Ward. I have never thought much of him as an actor
and think that he did an "okay" job on this film; not bad but not
particularly noteworthy. However, his supporting cast all shine, and
his chemistry with them, especially with Christian Bale, is really what
sells the movie for me. Bale's achievement is nothing short of
revolutionary. He completely steals the show as Micky's crack-addicted
older brother and trainer, a former boxer himself, and a shadow of his
old self, except he can still throw one hell of a punch and knows just
what Micky needs to do in order to succeed. Bale completely embodies
the role and really gives it his all  both in his appearance (hollow
cheeks, bulgy eyes, balding) but also in his bravura performance. It is
an incredible feat of acting, one of the best I have seen all year;
Bale's best work as an actor yet, and totally deserving of all the
accolades it will inevitably receive. Also worth mentioning though are
the two main female supporting roles, namely Amy Adams as the tough and
sassy but supportive girlfriend, and Melissa Leo as the overbearing
mother. Both actresses are very much out of their comfort zone, which
is just what makes their performances so good. Adams, who has never
really shown her tough side like she does in this film, does a
spectacular job, and really creates someone human and relatable out of
what is otherwise an underwritten character. The same goes for Melissa
Leo: her character could have gone the completely one-dimensional
villainous way, but Leo adds a certain humanity to the character which
just makes her seem more sad than vicious.

Ultimately, The Fighter tells a pretty conventional story in an
interesting and not necessarily conventional way. It is a film that
could have been over-dramatized and heavy-handed had it been put in
another director's hands (see Cinderella Man for an example of over-
dramatization), but Russell and his cast reign it in and set out to
create a very specific atmosphere and set a particular mood that lends
the film a sense of realism and a very unique dynamic energy that, with
the help of the fantastic performances from the cast, help carry it
above and beyond its conventional script.

Was the above review useful to you?

91 out of 120 people found the following review useful:

An excellent film with an exceptional cast

The Fighter has been a must-see film of mine ever since at least the
end of October. Not only did the cast look to function as one strong,
cohesive unit, Christian Bale looked to transform himself yet again and
had gotten completely absorbed in his role as Dicky Eklund. From just
viewing the trailer, Bale seemed to give a performance that reminded
his fans just how talented he can actually be. The Fighter also seemed
to have a lot of emotion and heart; two key ingredients that go on to
making movies like this legendary. The real test would be if The
Fighter could hold up to other great boxing films like Rocky or Raging
Bull and in this critic's humble opinion, it does just that.

Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) is following in his brother Dicky's (Bale)
footsteps and is trying to make a name for himself as a boxer. Dicky
has been giving Mickey advice and helping Mickey train for as long as
they can both remember while their mother Alice (Leo) has been acting
as his manager the entire time. Mickey knows it's time for a change if
he expects to make a serious impact in the boxing world, but a crack
addicted brother and a mom who thinks she's helping his career when
she's really hurting it have both been holding him back for far too
long. So when Charlene (Adams) and Mickey become an item and Dicky
winds up in prison, Mickey makes the hardest decision of his life and
keeps fighting with new management in tow and seemingly pushes his
family out. As Mickey's mother tries to wrap her head around her son
replacing her as manager, all hell breaks loose once Dicky gets out of
prison. As the date for the most important fight in Mickey's career
fast approaches, will he have the support of his family or has
everything already fallen apart past the point of being repaired?

The cast is the driving force behind this film. The relationships and
arguments that take place between Mickey, Dicky, their mother, her
seven daughters, George Ward (Jack McGee), Charlene, and Mickey O'Keefe
(as himself) are really the heart behind all the boxing that takes
place. Melissa Leo turns in an emotionally powerful performance as you
can tell she only wants the best for her family, does everything within
her power to do just that, and still seems to wind up hurting them in
the long run. Amy Adams character, Charlene, seems to want nothing more
than to be with Mickey but is also relying on his success to be the
ticket to her bettering her life. Then there's Mark Wahlberg who always
seems to play the same role with the same thick Boston accent. The
thing about Mickey though is that Wahlberg fits the part very well. The
extensive training Wahlberg went through and his experience made him a
shoe-in for this role. The real gem of the film is Christian Bale
though. Bale has been rather disappointing performance-wise since The
Dark Knight and it's nice to see him back in top form here. He surely
looks the part as his awkward body language, sick, clammy skin tone,
and the way he seems to be chewing on something when he's not eating
anything really makes him come off as a genuine crack addict. I was
beginning to think that success had gotten to his head, but even if it
has it's great to know that he can still turn in engaging performances
like this when he feels like it.

What's interesting is the song, "How You Like Me Now?" by The Heavy
that was also used in the trailers for Faster is used several times in
The Fighter. It seems to be utilized more efficiently in The Fighter
though. It felt like the song was used in Faster just because it
sounded cool, but the song seems to have a stronger impact in a film
about a boxer trying to turn his life around better than a film about a
guy trying to gain revenge for his brother's death. It was a very
welcome addition to the soundtrack and makes the opening segment to The
Fighter even more memorable than it already was.

The film also wastes little time taking full control of your attention.
You don't lose interest until that screen turns black. With the little
bits of humor thrown in for good measure amongst all of the family
brawling and knockout punches being thrown around, it was just really
easy to get lost in the film. It was almost as if you were part of the
documentary crew filming Dicky watching this all take place in person.
The one complaint I have is that it all seems to end rather
prematurely. While everything does come together nicely, the ending
just doesn't feel fully gratifying. It felt like the film ended right
in the middle of the climax, but consider it a nitpick. It's still an
excellent film.

The Fighter is an engrossing and emotionally powerful drama that
features an incredibly strong cast and the best performance from
Christian Bale in a long, long time. I honestly haven't liked a boxing
film this much since Raging Bull. With all of the end of the year
awards talk and so many movies being released recently and in the
coming weeks that'll be potential award winners, it is well worth every
effort to see The Fighter in theaters. It has one of the most
well-rounded and well put-together casts of any film to be released in
theaters this year and deserves to be seen on the big screen.

Was the above review useful to you?

118 out of 177 people found the following review useful:

Everyone involved in this film just made a fan of me

Such a fully satisfying film is a rarity. A story of family, struggle,
and love told with great humor, intelligence and heart. I've already
seen it twice and am telling everyone I meet to be sure to catch it. I
was blown away by Amy Adams' touching performance in JUNE BUG and by
the raw beauty of Melissa Leo's work in FROZEN RIVER, but have been
slow to distinguish among the crop of young male stars and directors
who deserve to be household names. Christian BALE, MARK WAHLBERG, and
David O. RUSSELL are names now branded in my consciousness. This season
I've been stunned by the creative forces at work in films including
SOCIAL NETWORK and JACK GOES BOATING, but for its overall achievement,
this amazing film based on the true story of two boxers from Lowell,
Massachusetts earns a championship. It is much more than just a fight
film or a biopic though it certainly sweeps us into the drama of the
boxing ring and quivers with the diamond gleam of truth. Bale's finely
etched creation of Dicky and Wahlberg's extraordinary dual turn as
producer and star in the role of Dicky's brother Micky should place
both men front and center for Oscar nominations along with Russell who
shaped the film with a keen sensitivity. Russel's team of artists
including cinematographer, costume and sound design were all spot on in
their respective contributions. Tho Leo and her gaggle of daughters
struck me at first as verging on caricature, I quickly saw that they
perfectly captured the family culture while providing a delicious comic
motif.

Was the above review useful to you?

65 out of 77 people found the following review useful:

The Fighter is a winner.

The story of Micky "Irish" Ward and his boxing career with his crack
addicted brother at his side. Apparently Marky Mark was so hell bent on
getting this film made that he stayed in "shape" for years and years
just in case the film went into production. That's dedication and
passion for you, yet the man still manages to be the weak link.

It's not really his fault, David O. Russell packed the film with a lot
of talent. Christian Bale plays Dicky Ecklund, Micky's crack addicted
brother who tells the same story over and over again, about him
knocking out Sugar Ray Leonard. It's his claim to fame. There is a film
crew following him around, he thinks it's going to be about his
comeback, yet it's really about the harsh realities of crack addiction.
Bale, again, submerses himself in the role. He is pure method. You can
not like him as a person, or even an actor, but you can't deny his
passion for the art. He is on the thin side again, with thin balding
hair and brown teeth. He looks deathly ill in every scene. The man has
one of his finest roles to date and will no doubt be nominated come
award season. I hope he actually takes home the award. He is without a
doubt, the most interesting character in the film.

Their mother is played by Melissa Leo, another performance worthy of
recognition come award season. Her desire to see her kids rise to fame
blind her from the truth. She denies the drugs and the failures and
believes she knows what's best for her kids. This means not letting
them get a real chance because it would be with a real manager and she
would be left behind. Family is important to her and she wants to keep
everyone very close, even if it harms their chance at making a name for
themselves. She of course, doesn't realize this. Amy Adams is the love
interest, you know there had to be one. She manages to pull Micky away
from the family that is dragging him down. They don't like her for it.
She has her own inspirations too, yet the story isn't interested in
them. The main focus of the film is with Micky's bumpy road to the
championship fight. Since this is based on a true story, I can't really
fault it for becoming a bit formulaic and predictable, yet it is.

David O. Russell is notorious for getting angry and violent with his
crew/cast. He was in a physical fight with George Clooney on the set of
Three Kings and anyone can go on youtube and check out the melt down he
and Lily Tomlin had on the set of I Heart Huckabees. Both films
coincidentally star Mark Walhberg, so it seems he doesn't have a
problem working with the combative director. I can't deny that the man
has talent. I really love Three Kings and found I Heart Huckabees to be
an ambitious project for the sheer weirdness of it all. With The
Fighter, he plays to a more conventional audience. In terms of boxing
films, it works. It plays on the down and out character, the poverty of
his life and the sheer determination he has to make a name for himself.
It's no Rocky, or as others have mentioned Raging Bull, but it is good
enough to be mentioned with them.

Russell always has an eye for a creative shot. Check out Three Kings
colour scheme for what I mean. Here he uses TV cameras for the boxing
matches. Interesting move, it feels like we are watching it at home and
are not really in the ring with them. I admire directors who think
outside of the box. Russell does this, no problem. He also decides to
include real footage of the characters. The film has some home video
segments throughout and during the credits we get to meet the real
Micky Ward and Dicky Eckland, which is even more reason to appreciate
Bale's performance.

The film trips a bit because of the lack of emotion from Walhberg. I
dig the guy and enjoy his films, but his range isn't there yet. When
given a role that he can play the absurdity of, he scores. Watch The
Departed for that. For a film where the audience needs to get behind a
character, to root and cheer for them to overcome their obstacles, he
falls a little short. Thank goodness the film makes up for this with
the performances from Bale and Leo.

The Fighter features great music, engaging performances and a
predictable, yet true story. I felt attached to the characters and
hoping they would make smart decisions. If a film can get me to care
about the characters, I say bravo.

The Fighter is a winner in my books.

Was the above review useful to you?

82 out of 123 people found the following review useful:

Wicked outstanding film

This is the film that David O'Russell and the cast and crew have
outdone themselves on. the best way to say it is WIcked outstanding. It
not only told the story of "Irish" Micky Ward, Dickie Eklund and the
family aspect but was a credit to the real internal and external
struggle of never giving up. "the fighter " does proper justice to the
hardworking ways and the People of Mass and Boston areas.

In this film , the title has a double meaning as not only being a
fighter as a boxer but speaks to many that in regular life that being
"The Fighter" success can happen if you put the work in. The story does
have strong female leads in this film that has never been shown in
previous boxing based films. It is a cross over to both worlds ( male
and female, Young and Old) and those that would usually skip a Boxing
based film as it is much more then just that.

I was at screening of "The Fighter" in the Beverly Hills theater with
Director David O'Russell and main Cast ( Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale,
Amy Adams ,Melissa Leo) The Director and cast show their love and
passion for this film and how hard they all worked to make this
possible in their very warm words and replies to the questions from the
audience. In all , a class group of fine professionals and actors put
their heart and soul into this one and I hope their efforts are well
rewarded when it comes time to nominate and vote for Oscars.

Great direction and performances make this an excellent film

Do we have a lot of sport films where the underdog ends up winning and
overcoming many obstacles along the way until the end? Definitely. Does
The Fighter succeed? Very much so...

For a film like this it is very difficult to make it completely
unpredictable, yet while The Fighter is in a way conventional, it is
also unpredictable many times. It has great characters to boot, but
also a strong cast that is willing to give it their all. This is the
best ensemble cast of the year,, many amazing performances. First, I
start off with Mark Wahlberg, who has been the most under the radar,
but he is definitely up for this. He is a great lead and I am surprised
he was as good as he was. I am also very pleasantly surprised by Amy
Adams. Not to say she is a bad actress, but I was always used to her
roles all being similar and now she is in a completely different role
for her, and to say she succeeds is an understatement. She is
excellent, and is only made strong when sharing the screen with any
other actor. Melissa Leo is also great, and I think she is on par with
Adams. The difference between Adams and Leo is that Leo has the more
award-baity role. Now we have Christian Bale, who I do think is the
best. I have seen his performances and while he has always been good,
he has never truly risen above others in his films, here he does. He is
excellent, and he as of now deserves that Oscar.

David Russel's direction is part of what makes this film so great, He
soars scenes to unbelievable heights and I think that the screenplay in
another director's hands would have came out with a merely good film.
But here, we have an excellent film, perhaps better than 2008's The
Wrestler, and one of the best films of the year.

Was the above review useful to you?

62 out of 94 people found the following review useful:

Fighting in and out of the ring

Wow, what a movie. It's an inspirational true story of a boxer finally
getting his break. It's also a story of addiction, and how it can
affect loved ones. And above all, it's about family. There are some
great boxing scenes in THE FIGHTER, they feel authentic and brutal, but
the true fight is really outside the ring. Which is not to say this is
an overbearing melodrama, no, far from it. It handles the subject
matter gracefully. It has a lot of heart and can be quite funny, and
there are some humorously absurd moments, something director David O.
Russell has proved to be very good at providing.

Mark Wahlberg gives a great performance playing the lead character,
Micky. This is Wahlberg's most reserved and complex role to date. Micky
has an unbreakable devotion to his family, which both strengthens and
cripples him. He never really speaks for himself, and would rather
suffer than upset those around him. Through the course of the movie the
character really grows, thanks to the help of a good woman by his side.
Mark Wahlberg shows a side of himself we've never seen before, this
isn't the over-the-top badass THE DEPARTED Wahlberg, which don't get me
wrong, is awesome too, but he finds a different range here. Truly the
guy has come a long way from The Funky Bunch.

Christian Bale is absolutely phenomenal in his scene-stealing role as
Micky's drug-addicted brother. This is such a great character that Bale
really brings a lot of depth to. Dicky's easily angered, often detached
and oblivious to how his affliction is affecting his life. He's also
ashamed and vulnerable. He's not the most reliable guy in the world and
he's in need of a serious wake-up call. But the thing is...you can
completely understand why Micky would stand by him for so long.
Underneath it all, he really is a great guy, full of energy and
affection- somebody you'd really want in your corner. This is sure to
go down as one of Bale's most remembered roles, and hopefully his
enormous talent will finally be recognized by winning an Academy Award
for it.

Behind every great man is a great woman, and Amy Adams also delivers a
fantastic performance as Micky's girlfriend, who really helps him
develop some backbone and at the same time is able to find some clarity
in her misguided life. She's great in her role, and I'd be lying if I
said I didn't thoroughly enjoy the eye-candy she brings to the movie.
She has her fair share of revealing outfits and in one scene is shown
wearing a see-through bra. Now THAT'S great filmmaking!

Also notable, just because it stood out to me, is that Conan O'Brien's
sister, Kate, has a role in the movie, playing one of Micky's sisters.
I sort of wish I wasn't privy to this information before seeing it
because her resemblance to the goofy talk show host is uncanny...and a
little disturbing.

I don't know why a lot of the most involving sports movies happen to be
about boxing, I guess there's just something so primal and against all
logic about people that get the crap beaten out of them for a living.
It's worth knowing what makes these people tick. Yes, this is based on
a true story, but I'm sure it's been tailored to fit Hollywood needs.
Events have likely been rearranged and certain moments probably
fabricated or altered, but THE FIGHTER doesn't attempt to portray the
family shown here in a completely positive light. Nobody is a saint
here, and everyone has their faults. When it finally arrives at its
conclusion it is relieving, satisfying, and yes, inspiring. This is
ultimately a happy story well deserving to be told on film but the sad
reality is that there are no doubt hundreds and hundreds of similar
stories that didn't end up quite as well. I can't tell you what exactly
makes the family depicted in this movie so special. Maybe they're
stronger, and more willing to compromise, and just maybe a little
lucky, too. But I was left recalling a scene from the movie THE
STRAIGHT STORY, where Richard Farnsworth lays down some wisdom upon a
teenage runaway: he told her how he would give each of his kids a stick
and ask them to snap them, which was easy. Then he'd give them a whole
bundle, which couldn't be broken. "That's family."

Was the above review useful to you?

43 out of 59 people found the following review useful:

A winner!

"O the joy of the strong-brawn'd fighter, towering in the arena in
perfect condition, conscious of power, thirsting to meet his opponent."
Walt Whitman

Mark Wahlberg has achieved a career high with The Fighter, not so much
for his acting, which is eclipsed by a supportive cast that would be
hard to beat in the Oscar race, but because he fought for years to
bring the story of Lowell, Mass. to the screen. He caught perfectly the
blue-collar town's karma and their devotion to the fighting brothers,
"Irish" Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale).

Director David O. Russell has assembled this cast around the idea that
a town in the shadow of Boston can become world famous as its sons
become winners in the ring. But then, Stallone did more for
Philadelphia as Rocky, so what's the big deal? Like Ben Affleck's
excellent thriller this year about Boston in The Town, Fighter captures
place and struggle in equal dramatic measure as filmmakers take a close
look at the working class's struggles over the last 30 years. While
Million Dollar Baby (2004) focused on trainer and fighter and
Cinderella Man (2005) gave a microscopic view of a troubled fighter and
his small family, The Fighter does all of that with a vigor as
exhausting as a bout itself.

The Fighter is not just about boxing because as in Martin Scorsese's
Raging Bull (1980), it's all about people who find in the sport a way
to transcend their social prison. In The Fighter, it is more even about
family, which weighs heavily on Micky's success or failure. And outside
family as well, for girlfriend, bartender Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams),
is a formidable force in liberating Micky from the suffocating family
(his five harpy sisters and domineering manager mother, Melissa Leo,
fearsome in her cigarette smoke and driving vision for her sons).
Unlike other boxing films, Fighter is patient with Micky's long climb
to success, almost painfully long but rewarding in the reality of its
prolonged struggle.

But it's also the acting that distinguishes it: Christian Bale as Dicky
transforms himself again by losing weight and morphing into a manic
brother who loves Micky despite Dicky's negative life of drugs and
mania; Amy Adams is believable as the gritty but beautiful girl friend;
and Melissa Leo plays mom like a lady Macbeth in tight Dockers.

Although there will be heavier films competing for 2010's Oscar, I
can't think of another whose cast so eloquently has caught the poverty
and riches of a town caught in boxing fever.

When it comes to winning awards, boxing films seem to always be
contenders; as such, the thought of watching "another boxing film" can
be off-putting. But "The Fighter" hangs in and fends off those labels,
earning every bit of its critical praise. That's because most of the
fighting in this film takes place out of the ring; "Irish" Micky Ward
(Mark Wahlberg) spars with the troublesome brother who trains him and
his mother who manages him and these superb supporting characters have
their own challengers to overcome.

David O. Russell brings a needed dose of realism to the boxing genre,
downplaying the underdog nature of Micky's true story and focusing on
the relationships that push him through and hold him back all
throughout his journey toward the welterweight title. Much of the time,
in fact, the story feels equally Micky's and his brother's. Dickie
Eklund (Christian Bale), as beat over our heads early in the film, went
ten rounds with Sugar Ray Leonard and knocked him down, becoming the
pride of small working-class town Lowell, Mass.  which as one might
imagine, wasn't hard.

But Dickie, an off-kilter, fun-loving yet irresponsible guy (a
transformative performance from Bale to say the least), spends the time
he's not training Micky in crack houses. In fact, he's completely
oblivious to the fact that HBO is following him around for their
documentary on crack abuse, not one about his "comeback." It's clear
that his behavior is keeping Micky, whose had a string of bad losses of
late, down. After an embarrassing fight in which Micky was mismatched,
Micky suddenly finds himself wondering whether he should keep his
boxing career and family separate.

The idea of it irritates Micky's mother Alice, played by Melissa Leo,
who impressively embodies every controlling mother. Alice sits in her
house most days and smokes cigarettes while her seven grown daughters
pathetically vie for her attention. Leo keeps Alice from being an
aggravating total monster, providing a more complete picture of a
mother whose blurred the line between business and family.

Amy Adams also excels in her supporting role, a bartender and college
dropout, but one who  like the audience  sees how Micky's family has
kept him back and as his girlfriend pushes him toward the right path.
Interestingly, as she grows more invested in Micky's career, the script
divides her from the audience, which gives her performance more weight.

Russell's characters have a harsh reality to them, much like the
Boston-based characters in Ben Affleck's films "Gone Baby Gone" and
"The Town." In addition to looks, clothes and mannerisms, Russell
chooses a more hand-held documentary feel for the film like Darren
Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" and even opts to film parts of the boxing
sequences with lenses like the ones used in the late '90s to give the
feel of watching a live broadcast.

The fights, though effective, remain secondary to the other "fighting."
Watching Dickie spiral downward and come back up again, Alice have
trouble letting go and Micky struggle to speak up for himself and
recognize what he truly needs serves as the more compelling conflict.
All together, they give "The Fighter" the best ensemble cast of 2010.
And like all great boxing films, all these tensions blow in and out
make their way symbolically into the boxing ring for that final fight.
As Dickie urges on his brother in the waning rounds of the championship
fight, he captures it perfectly when he says "everything that's
happened, take that out there with you."

The emotional moments of "The Fighter" do lack a real knockout and many
intimate moments are tempered with humor in awkward but not
scene-ruining ways, but rather than be a heavyweight drama that rides
the underdog story for two hours, "The Fighter" opts to be something a
bit more natural by fixing on the right things: the people and the
personal relationships that hurt or harm us, are all essential to our
success.